Scene about fellow countryman
Bayern star admits: “When I saw that, tears came to my eyes”
October 10, 2025 – 9:10 p.mReading time: 1 min.
He would have liked to have been in the hall himself when Ousmane Dembélé accepted the Ballon d’Or. But even from a distance, Dayot Upamecano was emotionally touched.
At this particular moment, Dayot Upamecano became emotional even though he wasn’t there. The FC Bayern Munich defender revealed in an interview with the French newspaper “Le Parisien”: “When I saw him holding up the Ballon d’Or, I cried,” Upamecano described the moment when his compatriot Ousmane Dembélé was honored as a world footballer in Paris.
“I’m speechless. We all knew he would be a great player, but still,” said the 26-year-old looking back. Although Upamecano was unable to attend the ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet on September 22nd, he watched the images from a distance. “It was a wonderful moment.”
During his acceptance speech, Dembélé was visibly moved. He cried, as did his mother and family members sitting in the audience. His mother was even invited on stage. In his speech, he recalled the support of his family, friends and former companions – including his former club Borussia Dortmund, for whom he played between 2016 and 2017.